The traditional systems to obtain forms of oral administration of medicaments or food supplements with modified release comprise the preparation of tablets, capsules, pellets, granulates that once swallowed release the active substance in the gastrointestinal tract according to predeterminated modes.
This release is obtained, in the case of pellets and granulates by application of the active substance on an inert core and, in the case of tablets, forming a compressed conglomerate of active principle mixed with inert components (such as binding agents and the like) and then covering the whole with one or more layers of outer membranes comprising substances adapted to provide the desired modified release, that can be a controlled, retarded, extended release according to the substances used for the cover membranes.
In this way the traditional so-called microgranules, pellets or minipellets, tablets or minitablets according to their size are obtained.
However these systems inevitably have some drawbacks, mainly due to the necessity of adding inert ingredients (such as support cores available on the market, known as sugar spheres) to the active substance. Therefore for the administration of the required dosage, the volume of the final administration form must be increased, with relevant swallowing difficulties, more particularly for high dosages, or the total dosage must be divided into several unitary doses.